CHESTERTOWN, Md. - The Ursinus men's basketball team won a crucial Centennial Conference road contest against Washington College on Saturday afternoon, coming back from a double-digit deficit to win 95-87.
 
 
 
The Bears improved to 8-5 overall with the win, and open Centennial play with a 1-0 record. The Shoremen fell to 10-3 on the season and are now 0-1 in conference play. Sophomore guard Jamie Murphy continued his breakout season with a career-high scoring outing, putting up 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, with eight rebounds and four assists. Senior Mohamed Toure contributed 21 points, converting 9-of-11 free throw opportunities, including two crucial ones to seal the game. Senior Luke Nieman connected on six three-pointers, tying his season-best mark.
 
 
 
It was a back-and-forth match from the jump, but Washington's ability to convert off turnovers gave them an early advantage, as they led 18-9 with 12:37 left in the 1st half. The lead increased up to 19, but six straight points from sophomore Jamie Murphy helped spark the Bears at the end of the half, leading them to trail 52-40.
 
 
 
Ursinus found a new gear offensively to begin the second half, with a 10-3 run by the Bears closing Washington's lead to five, just five minutes into the half. The Bears' run was highlighted by three-pointers by Nieman and sophomore Porter Kelly. Next, Washington College responded with five straight points to extend their lead to 10. First-year Tomas Belaiter answered for Ursinus scoring the next five points, while a steal, and layup from Murphy cut the Bears deficit to 60-57 with 13:11 to play. Washington College extended their lead back to nine at the 11:54-mark, but an Ursinus 9-2 run made the score 70-68 with 10:01 remaining.  The teams continued to trade baskets, until a three-pointer by senior Nick Nocito and a subsequent free throw from Murphy gave the Bears their first lead at 79-78 with 5:07 remaining. The Bears never trailed again, as senior Mohamed Toure scored a crucial basket and drew a foul with 39 seconds remaining to put the Bears up four, and strong defense helped the team earn the victory.
 
 
 
Ursinus shot a season-best 56.9% from the field (33-of-58), 38.1% from three-point range (8-of-21), and 75% (21-of-28) from the free throw line. They also out rebounded the Shoremen 39-24 and out scored Washington College 50-38 within the paint. Washington College shot 46% from the field (29-of-63), 42.1% from 3-point range (8-of-19), and 75% (21-of-28) at the charity stripe. They led for all but four minutes and 44 seconds of the game. The victory marked the Bears' 11th straight in the series and 17th in the last 18 meetings between the two squads.
 
 
 
Ursinus will return home on Wednesday, January 14th, for a conference matchup with the Haverford Fords. The game will begin at 6:00 P.M.